Job Description

New opportunity working directly for an educational institution. This user facing role is responsible for providing point of service AV procurement, installation and support to all members of the educational institution community. They will also undertake preventative maintenance for any managed AV installations. They will also be expected to resolve associated IT issues and basic networking issues.

1. Act as escalation point to the AV Technician. This will typically relate to technical queries, but may also include provision of advice and guidance in relation to non-technical matters.
2. Respond to support requests ensuring that they are resolved within agreed timescales and that users are kept informed of progress.
3. Investigate, diagnose and resolve incidents in order to resolve normal service. This will include the documentation of common fixes so that they can be followed by AV Technicians.
4. Independent testing of software updates and hardware prior to release
5. Identify, and where possible resolve, underlying problems with systems and ensure that these are documented. The post holder will also be expected to provide a temporary work around for underlying problems that can’t be resolved prior to escalating internally.
6. Updating supporting information to ensure that systems can be effectively supported.
7. Work with the Networking and Operations Team in relation to emergency networking and patching issues ensuring that DNS changes are recorded
8. Manage equipment loan processes to ensure that ad hoc equipment requirements are met.

Elements of the Role

Planning and Organising
• The post holder will typically receive reactive support calls via telephone, or the IT service management tool. It is expected that these calls are responded to within 15 minutes.
• Service requests including install and maintenance work will typically be received via the IT service management tool.
• It is expected that the post holder will plan and prioritise the work activities allocated to them and will set their own short and medium term targets.

Problem Solving and Decision Making
• The post holder is responsible for diagnosing hardware and software faults and restoring service.
• It is expected that they will reconfigure and upgrade equipment to resolve underlying issues.
• They are responsible for configuring and testing new hardware prior to installation and for undertaking independent testing of software prior to its release in a live environment.
• The post holder will resolve these issues through referring to their previous experience of similar problems and making reference to agreed AV procedures.

Continuous Improvement
• The post holder is expected to contribute to the continuous development of the service and will be involved in AV projects, for example, standard room installations, and ongoing maintenance of supported systems.
• This would include the development of systems to remotely support installations.
• The post holder will also help identify and document new fixes for inclusion in the department knowledge base

Accountability
• The post holder will work independently and as part of a close-knit team which on occasion will be expected to respond to new and unfamiliar tasks. This may require the post holder to work with other IT sections to identify the root cause of a problem and deliver a satisfactory outcome.
• It is expected that the post holder will provide a professional image and service to their customers, which will include keeping them informed of the progress of their issue at all stages of resolution.
• The post holder is expected to refer new/unusual problems, or conflicts in demands, to the Technical Manager for guidance or resolution.

Dimensions of the role.
• The post holder will work alongside 5 members of the Support Team supporting in excess of 250 AV installations across two campuses.
• This covers all aspects of AV plus support of the educational institution’s lecture capture system and other teaching technologies.
• The Senior AV Technician will not have any direct reports of their own.
• The post holder will actively seek to improve service standards and will act as an escalation point for the resolution of more complex issues.
• They will help develop procedures that can be applied by technicians to help identify the underlying causes of an AV problem.
• They will also document fixes in a logical manner and ensure that these are applied appropriately.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Professional Memberships
- HNC, A Level, NVQ 3, HND Level or equivalent with a number of years of experience in a relevant role
OR
- Broad vocational experience, acquired through a combination of on-the-job training experience
- Hold or be working towards recognised AV qualifications
- Microsoft Desktop Support Technician or equivalent qualification

Technical Competencies (Experience and Knowledge)
-Experience of diagnosing and resolving hardware faults in a logical manner
- Substantial experience of providing Audio Visual technical support in a large networked environment.
- Experience of using incident reporting tools such as Heat and a proven record in incident management
- Experience of AV technologies including Crestron Control System’s, Crestron Digitalmedia Products.
- Proven skills in the installation, configuration, management and support of a range of AV hardware
- Good working knowledge of Windows environments, associated infrastructures and networking

Special Requirements:
There will be a requirement for the role holder to work to provide support for events and teaching outside normal working hours.

Background Information
In addition to working closely with the Support Team Technical Manager, the Senior Technician will have significant interactions with all levels of educational institutions staff. The post holder will need to demonstrate excellent communication skills, a confident and welcoming manner and the ability to work under pressure as well as having a wide-ranging knowledge of AV and IT.

Continuous Personal Development and learning are a key aspect of the role in order to keep abreast of new technologies and skill’s as they emerge in the industry.